Collapsible vehicle wheel



' J. J. R JOHNSON 2,180,471

COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE WHEEL Nov. 21, 1939.

' Filed May 1937- 1- Sheet-Sheet l nven or fikvvsow Nov. 21,- 1939. J R,JOHNSON 2.l80,47l

COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE WHEEL Filed y 9, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnven forJfcj J E. J/Lnsow %f mm .4 iiorneys Nov. 21, 1939. J R JOHNSON k2,180,471

COLLAPS IBLE VEH I CLE WHEEL Fi y 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Q75?JR. fill 705cm .4 iiorneys Nov. 21, 1939. J. J. R. JOHNSON 2,180,

COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE WHEEL Filed y 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet! 1/ III InventorJQJEJAMM By A 4 Attorneys Patented Nov. 21, 1939 r i g w v UNITED STATESPIATENT'OF COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE WHEEL Jay J. R. Johnson, Mumford, N. Y.

Application May 29, 1937, Serial No. 145,604

4 Claims. (01. 301-16 v The present invention relates to vehicle wheels,Figure 10 is an elevational view of one of the v and in particular to abodily detachable, expansirim segments. his and contractibleconstruction particularly de- Figure 11 is a horizontal section on theline vised to facilitate application and removal of a Hll of Figure 1.

pneumatic tire. Each rim unit or segment is denoted by the ,5,

My primary objective is to provide a wheel of numeral 12. Each of thesesections is identical the aforementioned collapsible type wherein the inconstruction, and a description of one will suiconstruction adopted tofulfill the requirements fice for all. To begin with, the numeral l3desigis in keeping with forthcoming demands of the nates the arcuate rimsection, this being of cus- 10. trade advocating the adoption anduse ofa wheel tomary channel-shaped cross-sectional form and which whendetached from the vehicle may be provided with a slip joint extension idfor coexpeditiously and conveniently handled to reaction with acorresponding extension on the next move the damaged tire and quicklysubstitute adjacent unit or section. The extensions of thea-ready-to-use tire. respective sections come together in telescoping 15Looking toward the development of a feasible relationship, as broughtout to advan in and practicable collapsible wheel construction, I ures 4and 5. This overlapping, telescoping joint have, after due deliberationand considerate forearrangement a o the as a Complete sight, found itexpedient and satisfactory to adopt nulus, to be circumferentiallyexpanded and cona simple circumferentially expansible and contracted tofacilitate application and removal of tractible tire rim whosecoordinated companion the tire. The various rim sections are provided 20sections are simultaneously actuated through the on their inner p ph w us 5. e instrumentality of an ingenious axially pr0ject- Wheel spokes l6are connected to the respective ible and retractible hub and spokeassembly. lugs l5.

Other features and advantages will become h po is of t e Co t t Seen inreadily apparent from the following description ure 8, at which point itwill'be observed that the 25 and drawings. inner end of the spoke isprovided with a ball In the drawings: jointing element or head ll. Atthe opposite end Figure 1 is what may be called an outside eleit is p v"w t a hineing t ns n 8. h vational view of the improved whe 1 as it aextension l8 fits between furcations Ill on the pears when on thevehicle and including the ja en lu a sh wn in Fi r 9- H r a i 30pneumatic tire as a part thereof. able hinge pin or connection isprovided as at 26. Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational Th n.to ,'1'n this rr n m n I p v abuts view of the nucleus forming the huband multiple t s u d rs 2| w r y to p d w t y spoke assembly, the hubcap being removed for be ca ed a On -W y hinging or rule Joi tGenclearness of illustration. nection between the spokes andlug-equipped 35 Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the m Sectonsdetachable wheel removed from the vehicle and Comi w o the b u t .1wi be seen the hub and spoke assembly collapsed to either o F ures 6 a dthat t s co prises a sta-' apply or remove a tire. bilizing and adapterannulus or ring 23. Riveted 40 Figure 4 is a horizontal fragmentarydetail or bolted to this, as at 241s the shell 25 forming section, on anenlarged scale, the section being a housing and mounting for theremovable hub through the segmental or sectional rim on the cap 26. Itis to be observed that the meeting line 44 of Figure 3. faces of theshell 25 and the adapter ring or Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4showing plate 23 are fashioned to provide sockets. That how the rimsectors or segments appear when is to say, the metal of the flange 21 isindented 45 expanded to normal tire-carrying positions. as at 28, andthese indentations coordinate with Figure 6 is an enlarged section takenapproxinotches in the ring 23 to provide sockets Ila for mately on theplane of the line 66 of Figure 1. the ball heads l1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section The numeral 29 designates abail whose arm through the hub construction with the wheel portions areplvotally anchored or attached as 50 removed from the brake drum. at 30to the interior of the hub shell 25, as Figure 8 is a detail view of oneof the especially brought out to advantage in Figure 7. This prodesignedwheel spokes. vides a projectible and retractible handle which Figure 9is an enlarged detail section on the may be drawn out to position foruse as seen in line 99 of Figure 10. Figure 3 when the hub cap 26 isremoved. Thus, 55

assuming that the wheel is lying on the ground or a similar supportingsurface, as indicated in Figure 3, it is evident that by catching holdof the projecting handle 29 and lifting upwardly on the hub unit 22,this swings the plurality of spokes [6 into a collapsed state. In sodoing, the overlapped ends of the rim segments are contracted torestrict the diameter of the rim. When thus restricted, a tire can beremoved or applied, as is evident. Then, by exerting weight on thehandle 29 and shoving downwardly on the then inclined spokes, they areforced into a plane with the surrounding rim, at which time theoverlapped ends of the rim segments are shifted into the expandedrelationship depicted in Figure 5 of the drawings. This is the fullexpanded state of the rim which serves to hold the tire thereon. Withthe tire thus applied, the whole wheel may be slipped over the axle 3|,as seen in Figure 6, and bolted tightly against the brake drum 32 andaxle flange 33 in the usual way. The wheel is held in place by the studs34 and removable retaining nuts 35. Consequently, in order to remove thewheel in the first place, the hub cap 26 is removed as is ordinarilydone in present day wheel mountings. Then the nuts 35 are removed torelease the whole wheel, after which it may be bodily lifted ofi" tomake an exchange of tires.

The gist of the invention resides, it is believed, in the provision of asectional tire rim with the sections interconnected in slidingrelationship, the axially projectible and retractible hub unit 22, andthe spokes intervening between the hub unit and rim and having hingeconnections at opposite ends with these respective parts. Morespecifically, however, it is desirous of having the one-way rule jointto provide the hinge connections at the outer ends of the spokes and toutilize self-adapting ball and socket connections between the inner endsof the spokes and the hub means 22.

It is obvious that when the wheel hub 23 is bolted on and against theaxle flange 33 and the spokes l6 firmly abut the brake drum 32 (seeFigs. 6 and 11) it is in all respects a regular rigid wheel. It onlybecomes a collapsible wheel when it is detached and bodily removed fromthe axle, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In practice I have found it advisable to utilize spacer and abutmentelements 36, as seen in Figure 2, these being on the brake drum andintervening between predetermined sets of spokes. Since there are fourrim sections and associated spoke groups, there are four of theseabutments 36, these serving to prevent rocking of the spokes when thewheel is in use.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawingswill enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore,a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within thefield of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle wheel construction of the class described, an annularcircumferentially expansible and contractible rim, an attaching andsupporting hub bodily movable in an axial direction toward and from saidrim, said hub including a ring-shaped plate and a shell provided with aring-shaped axially inner end, means for connecting the said inner endof the shell with the ring-shaped plate, the axially inner end of theshell and the outer portion of the plate having circumferentially spaceddepressions in their peripheral portions forming ball sockets, spokeshaving balls at their inner ends fitting in said sockets, hingeconnections between the outer ends of the spokes and the rim and meansfor detachably connecting the hub to a brake drum.

2. In a vehicle wheel of the class described, a hub unit including anadapter ring detachably connectible with a wheel flange, a shellpermanently secured to said adapter ring, the marginal portions of saidshell and ring being fashioned to provide sockets, a plurality of spokeshaving ball heads fitted movably in said sockets, and a surrounding rim,the outer ends of said spokes being connected with said rim.

3. In combination with a brake drum, a-hub composed of a ring-shapedplate and a shell, said shell having a ring-shaped axially inner endfastened to the axially outer face of the plate, the peripheral portionsof adjacent parts of the shell and plate having circumferentially spaceddepressions therein forming ball sockets, means for detachablyconnecting the hub to the drum, spokes having ball-shaped inner endsfitting in the sockets, a sectional rim, the ends of the sectionstelescoping, lugs connected with the inner circumference of the rim,rule joint hinges connecting the outer ends, of the spokes with saidlugs and projections on the drum fitting between certain pairs ofspokes.

4. In combination with a brake drum, a hub composed of a ring-shapedplate and a. shell, said shell having a ring-shaped axially inner endfastened to the axially outer face of the plate, the peripheral portionsof adjacent parts of the shell and plate having circumferentially spaceddepressions therein forming ball sockets, means for detachablyconnecting the hub to the drum, spokes having ball-shaped inner endsfitting in the sockets, a sectional rim, the ends of the sectionstelescoping, lugs connected with the inner circumference of the rim,rule joint. hinges connecting the outer ends of the spokes with saidlugs and projections on the drum fitting between certain pairs ofspokes, and a ball normally locate ed in the shell and having its endspivoted to internal wall parts of the outer portion of the shell. JAY J.R JOHNSON.

